Stratosphere chamber



p 1949- A. H. HEINEMAN STRATOSPHERE CHAMBER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1944 Q \& \A

Sept. 27, 19 49. A. H. HEINEMAN STRATOSPHERE CHAMBER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1344 Sept. 27; 1949. A. H. HEINEMAN STRATOSPHERE CHAMBER 5 sheets- -shee t 5 Filed June 22, 1944 mm %m Sept. 27, 1949. A. H. HEINEMAN 2,

STRATOSPHERE CHAMBER Filed June 22, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 27, 1949. 1 A. H. HEINEMAN STRATOSPHERE CHAMBER 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 22, 1944 j/ez 776777477,

Patented Sept. 27, 1949 Arnold HQHeineman, Chicago, 111., assignor to Vacuum Process Corporation, a corporation of Illinois i Application June 22, 1944, Serial'No. 541,516

This invention relates to a stratosphere chamber and more particularly to a self -contained heat insulated chamber which'is readily portableifv desired, within which equipment of various types may be submitted to testing at the extremes of atmospheric conditions of temperature, pressure and humidity. V i

As is well known,;the necessities of warfare have caused machinery to'be subjected to extremes of temperature, both highand low, to.

extremes of humidity, both high and low, and to a. wide range of atomspheric pressure conditions.

It is desirable to have equipment tested under these conditions and the present invention re-t lates to a very simple portable structure provid.'-:

ing extremely accurate control and. a relatively great area of testing chamber as comparedto the total size of the unit; The chamber, is illustrated in the drawings in which Figure 1 isfa sectional side elevation of the chamber; Figure 2 is aplan view; Figure 3 is a horizontal section 'takenalong. the line 3--3 in Fig. 1, modified to showa 'diai-i grammatic water injection system; Figure 4 is a Y sectional view taken along'the line 4.4 in Fig. 1;

cally seals the insulation from the interior ofthe chamber.

The testing chamber proper I5 is contained in the upper front portion-of the structure and is provided with a door l6 having a large portion thereof provided with a glass window l1. The door is mounted on hinges l8 and is pressed against a framing gasket l9 by suitable means such as the bolts 20. "1

A preferred device has a total overall height of approximately 8 2" and length of 9 3 and width of 5 6" within which is accommodated a testing chamber having a clear width of 4" in each direction. The back of the chamber is defined by a baflie 25 extendingupwardly from the grated flooring '26 slightly more than half-Way up the chamber. The baflle wallis slightly flared inwardly at the top. I The rearewallof the chamber is formed by an insulated partition 21 having an opening 28 provided with a pair of dampers 29 which may be manually or automatically controlled. A passageway 30 is formed by the baflie and the partition wall 2 1. Heating coils 3|,

. shown most clearly in Figure 3.

preferably electrical, are provided within this passageway."

.Below the 'foraminous bottom 26 is a pan 32; On each side of 'this pan-is a hot water manifold 33 equipped with 'a' plurality of spaced spray nozzles 34 which are provided with water at suitabletemperature through the valve line'35. This water is supplied from. a'mixing chamber 36 outside the structure. This mixing chamber is of known type in which control valves 31 and 38 determine the proportion of hot water from the heater 39 and cold water from the lineflilwhich are supplied to the spray. AthermometerAI is maintained within the mixing chainber and water is supplied to the sprays atpredetermined temperature.

The temperature of the water is determined by the humidity desired within the structure and in each case water is supplied at the dew point. For example, if the temperature within the testing 'chamber .is'to be 90F. and the humidity selected is one which would produce a wet bulb temperature of F. the spray water will be introduced at 80 F., thereby automatically bringing the humidity to the desired point and not beyond it. 1

' Below the pan 32 is a-fan 'ill. The fan has inlet entrances 5 l' and 52 at each side of the structure and these are soarranged as to draw all of the air enteringthe fan over the pan and through thewater'spray. Air from the pressure side'of'the fan passes into the chamber 53 and from thereeither through the cooling system 54 or the heating passage 30, or through both. This action iscontrolled'by the automatic dampers 55 and 56. In advanced "position, these dampers meet and block the passageway 57 to the cooling coils and when completely withdrawn the upper damper 58 blocks the'heating passage 30. At intermediate positions] they regulate the propor-' tions of air passing to the heating and cooling devices.

Cooling is accomplished by expansion coils '60 which are supplied with suitable refrigerant from any suitable type of compressor. The compressor may be driven by the motor 6!. If the compressor is maintained within the stratosphere chamber, it is supplied' with a hermetically sealed ventilating system and fan for removing heat therefrom and is insulated from the remainder of the system. It is preferred, however, to operate the compressor outside of the unit and to admit liquidrefrigerant from outside to the coil 60. J

heating passage 30 is controlled, preferably by regulation of the temperature of theheating.

coils 3| to produce the desired temperature'within the testing chamber.

On an operation in which theair inthe testing chamber i5 is maintained below atmospheric, the

dampers 55 and 56 are automatically openedunqtil the necessary cooling has been accomplished whereupon the dampers are closed and=the air bypassed through the passage 30, the heating coils, of course, not being operated during such a cycle.

Inasmuch as most equipment is subjected toa cycleof heat followed by cold or vice. versa, it'is preferredto accumulate cooling capacity during aheating cycle. The present system permits'by-v passing of air through the passage 30 while. cooling capacity is being accumulated'inthe coils 60 and thereby greatly reduces the extent of thesecoilszas1compared to whatwould be necessary if. such accumulation were not possible. The air in the testing chamber may be almost completely replaced by precooled air from the cooling chamber in order to efiect a rapid reduction oirthe temperature withinthe testing chamber.

The pressure within the chamber I5 is r.egu-. lated by any suitable evacuation apparatus through the line 10..

A'nair inlet through the chamberris pro-; vided so that fresh air may be constantly supplied for the operation of gasolinemotorsor the like. It is also preferred to provide one or more electrical connections 30 within the chamber for the operationof electric motors and other electrical equipment during testing.

The arrangement of the spray pan beneath the floor of the chamber permits maximum width of: the air passage with consequent reduction of load upon the fan and maximum available area for the spray. It also produces a system inwhich the possibility ofdripping from the humidifyin'g. system into the testing-chamber is completely. avoided. A drain 8! is provided at the bottom of the cooling compartment 58 and there is another drain 82 at the bottomof the chamber, 53..

It will be noted that the cooling section of the structure is completely insulated fromzthe heate ing section but, nevertheless, the two systems are controlled by the same fan.

The present structure also permits the use of a full opening door completely unobstructedsothat as much as is desired thereof may be made of glass to permit ready inspection of the operations inside the chamber.

The sprays, of course, are run only on a heating cycle except where 100% humidity is required. On a heating cycle, the air is first humidified close to 100% humidity and is then heated to the desired temperature. The use-of water at the dew point automatically adjusts the humidity to the proper point. The amount of; Waterrequired is surprisingly low. For. example with a fan having a capacity of 6,000 cubic; feet per minute, only two or three gallons of spray water are required.

The evacuating equipment is designed to produce pressures aslow as 1 inch of mercury while supplying .sufiicient air to the system to operate any equipment within the chamber. The cooling system is designed to produce temperatures as low as minus F. and the heating system will produce temperatures as high as 200 F. Bothheating andlcoolinggare designed to handle humidities between 0 and 100. Low humidities may be produced by pretreatment of the air through the cooling system or by the use of known desiccantsawhich may readily be placed in the fresh air inlet 15.

The foregoing detailed description has been :giverrfor-clearness,;,of understanding only, and

no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.1

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is:

l. A testing device comprising a hermetically sealediinsulated housing, a testing chamber within anupper portion of the housing and-occupying. asubstantialiproportion of the internal area of the. housing, a-foraminous floor in the chamber, afan'. within the housing having its suction side in communication with the floor, spray means between the floor and the suction side of the fan, alternatively selective passageways leading from the fan to-thetesting chamber, cooling means in one of the said passageways, said last named passageway having a volume of the same order as the volume of thetesting chamber, optionally selective heating means in the other passageway. and means forproportioning the volume of air through said alternatively. selective passageways.

' 2.'A testing device comprising an insulated hermetically sealed housing, a. testingchamber withinan upper-portion of the housing, the floor of said testmg chamber being forami'nous', means for withdrawing air 1 from' the testing chamber through saidfloor, spray means directly beneath the-floor andcompletely cutting the path of all air 'so withdrawn, means for returning the air to the testing chamber comprising alternatively selective passageways leading from the with drawal means-to the testing chamber, optionally selective heating means in one of said passage-- ways, cooling means in the other passageway, said other passageway having a proportionately large volume whereby air in said testing chamber REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

uNrrEn STATES PA'I'ENTS Number V Name =D ate 2,026,079 White et al. Dec. 31,1935 2,223,669 Forshee et a1. Dec. 3, 1940 2,254,185 Newton Aug. 26, 1941 2,299,867 -Wolfs0n Oct. 27, 1942 2,303,094 Sharpe Nov. 24, 1942; 2,373,333 St. Onge Apr. 10, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 686,840 France Apr. 22, .1930

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,482,753 September '27, 1949 ARNOLD H. HEINEMAN It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

In the grant, lines 1 and 2, for assignor to Vacuum Process Corporation, a corporation of Illinois read assignor, by mesne assignments, to Guardite Corporation, 0 Wilmington, Delaware, a corporation of Delaware; line 12, for Vacuum Process orporation, its successors, read G'aardite (Jorporation, its successors; and in the heading to the printed specification, lines 3 to 5, for assignor to Vacuum Process Corporation, a corporation of Illinois read assignor, by mesne assignments, to Gaardite Corporation, of Wilmington, Delaware, a corporation of Delaware;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of January, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Palm. 

